The Plum Story

by Ingrid Prohaska

She went into the kitchen and opened a glass of stewed plums.
“I think none of these plums has ever thought about the possibility of ending in this glass,” she said holding the glass in front of her and looking at the opened glass.
She really was in a very strange mood that day.
“Actually a sad destiny,” she continued while she took a spoon to eat the plums.
“First they bloomed beautiful and innocent on the plum tree. They enjoy the sun and the life, they are also glad about the rain because they know that their tree needs the water.”
She led the spoon to her mouth, looked at the plum on the spoon and put it into her mouth.
Still eating she continued, “One day after the flowering time they lose their petals and it is time to grow up to a plum. First very small and insignificant, later bigger and green. And every ray of sunshine helps the plum to become a violet-blue and sweet fruit. Could be that the plum enjoys its life.”

A break followed.
After eating a few plums she continued, “But the ripeness goes together with the decision of the further destiny. The plum could be picked from the tree and eaten – life is over. Or the plum could be picked and transported – there is still hope of a further living. But it will be – like these plums in the glass – that the plum comes into a fruit-fabric. There it will be stoned and will be put together with other its unknown plums in one of these glasses.”

Still eating the plums one after another she continued, “But it could also be that the plum is lucky, is overlooked and is let on the tree. Perhaps the plum has leaves as friends and they have hidden it. So the plum has the chance to ripe completely until it doesn’t like to keep on the tree anymore. Then the plum falls to the ground and with good luck it rolls towards a place, where it can not be found. In time its friends the leaves will follow and they will cover the plum.”
She put the empty glass on the table and ended “That plum I think is one of very few plums that has its real destiny fulfilled. It has the chance to grow up to new life, to become a tree and to give a lot of plums their lives.”

Copyright © 2007 Ingrid Prohaska

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